Evansville water and sewer board approves advertising for two main projects, several amendments and change orders

Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Board President (name not specified in the transcript) opened the Oct. 15 meeting at the Sunrise Pump Station and moved quickly through a consent agenda before turning to new business.

Jennifer Kane, a staff member, asked the board to approve advertising for the Dresden Street (East of First Avenue) water main replacement, a project to replace an existing 12-inch main with approximately 840 linear feet of new 12-inch pipe. "This project's on the North Side ... The project will replace the existing 12 inch water main with approximately 840 linear feet of 12 inch water main," Kane said, recommending advertisement on Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 and a Nov. 12 bid opening. The board moved, seconded and voted to advertise the project.

Mitch Ferguson presented the Burkhart Crossing Forcemain Improvements Phase 1 (U1206). He said the project would replace roughly 1,280 linear feet of existing force main with an 8-inch force main and would add about 180 gallons per minute of capacity to the Bird Park Crossing lift station; the engineer's estimate was $611,000. "This project will replace approximately 1,280 linear feet of 6 inch force main with 8 inch ... These improvements will add approximately a 180 gallons per minute of capacity to the existing Bird Park Crossing lift station," Ferguson said. The board approved advertising for that project with the same bid-opening date.

Jennifer Kane also presented Change Order No. 1 to Miller Pipeline LLC for the Schutte Road/Broadway to USI Tank water main replacement (U1158). "This change order is an increase of $42,137.09," Kane said, explaining it adds four pay items, adjusts final quantities and extends the contract by 155 calendar days. Kane identified the primary causes as encountering rock that required switching from directional drilling to open cut and a conflict with an unknown 24-inch storm sewer that required repairs and a vertical offset. After a motion and second, the board approved the change order.

Kane requested approval of Amendment No. 5a to Clark (transcript shows variant spellings) for additional design associated with the US 41 water relocation (U1236), citing Indot scope changes and late bid-period adjustments; she recommended the $6,610 amendment and the board approved it.

Mitch Ferguson then presented Amendment No. 2 to a 2023 sewer professional services agreement with American Structure Point, Inc., describing fee adjustments for several projects and noting a $0 net change. A board member asked for clarification of the acronym "CES RPR," and Ferguson said it stood for Construction Engineering Services and Resident Project Representative. The board approved the $0 amendment.

Ferguson also recommended approval of Change Order No. 1 to Dye Brothers Lumber & Construction for the Morgan and Willow sewer relocation, a deductive change of $4,930 to bring the final contract amount to $62,416. He said the deduction was largely from removing a temporary pavement repair item because permanent restoration within an active INDOT construction zone made that temporary work unnecessary. The board approved the deductive change order.

The board offered brief member and staff comments, confirmed its next meeting for Oct. 29, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. at the Sunrise Pump Station, and adjourned.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda: approved (vote recorded as "aye"; roll-call tallies not specified in the transcript). - Advertise Dresden Street Water Main Replacement (U1181): approved (bid opening Nov. 12). - Advertise Burkhart Crossing Forcemain Improvements Phase 1 (U1206): approved (bid opening Nov. 12). - Change Order No. 1, Miller Pipeline LLC (U1158): approved; increase $42,137.09; add 155 calendar days. - Amendment No. 5a to Clark (U1236): approved; $6,610. - Amendment No. 2, American Structure Point (U1214): approved; $0 net change. - Change Order No. 1, Dye Brothers Lumber & Construction (Morgan and Willow): approved; deduct $4,930; final contract $62,416.

What remains unclear from the transcript: the transcript does not record roll-call vote tallies by name for any motion, and several consultant and contractor names appear with variant spellings in the record (see clarifying details).